Cajun Brine Solution for Turkey
Brining infuses meat with flavor while tenderizing it so when cooked
Brining infuses meat with flavor while tenderizing it so when cooked, it’s juicy, tender and delicious. Check out Will Turner’s recipe for a Cajun brine solution and his technique for brining a 20-pound turkey overnight.
Cajun Brine Solution for Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 quarts Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Salt
- 1/2 cup Cajun Seasoning (Your favorite brand will work)
- 6 cloves of Garlic
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1 medium Onion
- 4 Bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 1 bundle of Fresh Poultry herbs (Rosemary, Thyme & Sage)
- Juice of 2 lemons
Directions:
Combine 2 quarts of water with the sugar, salt, and Cajun seasoning in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, including 4 quarts of water. Allow the brine to cool for about an hour before pouring over the turkey in a brining bag and refrigerate overnight.
I made this brine and brined the turkey for 2 days due to a miscalculation. I fried the turkey tonight at 350 for 70 minutes.. OMG y’all!! This recipe is amazing the turkey was so moist and flavorful. I will never eat a baked turkey again
Do you wash the turkey b4 frying it or should it be just padded dry? Thanks
Pat it dry. That will give you a crispier skin.
This looks delicious, can I make this in the oven? First time attempting to make a Cajun Turkey.
Absolutely! Obviously we are partial to smoked turkey.
i have a wsm 22in. Doing a 14lb turkey, how fo i get crispy skin?
I know not to use water pan? concerned i wont get temp to 300-325 as christmas day its to be 17° F. Tim, Indiana
Great question.
You are headed in the right direction. Moisture is the problem. Dry the skin as much as possible. If you butter it, change to olive oil or clarified butter.
When the skin is wet, the water will evaporate. Water evaporation cools the skin of the turkey. The skin won’t get hot enough to crisp. Regular butter has water in it, so while you end up with a great color, the skin won’t crisp like you want it.
do i season the deep fried turkey after its brine and put in the frig over night ?
That will work great. It will allow the rub to infuse the meat that much more.
So you have to fry this or can you do it in the oven? And if so at what temp and how long?
Oven will work fine. When the breast reaches 163 degrees pull your bird and let it rest for 30-45mins before carving.
Just used this recipe for our Thanksgiving Turkey and it was A1. So many compliments. I made a similar rub to go under the skin and smoked at 225-240. Thanks for sharing; it is much appreciated.